Ice Cold
by Jyira Keller
Summary: Jakob Redfern was a psychotic vampire killer. His innocent soulmate Juliet is trying to forget. But someone blames Juliet for what her monstrous soulmate did is determined to make her join Jakob eternally.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers: NW concepts and characters belong to LJS. Everything else is mine.   
  
Summary: Jakob Redfern was a psychotic vampire killer brought down by Circle Daybreak vampire hunters. His innocent soulmate Juliet is trying to forget the monster that was her one and only. But someone doesn't want her to forget. Someone who blames Juliet for what her monstrous soulmate did. Juliet must find out what's going on, before she joins Jakob eternally.  
  
Part 1  
  
The scream echoed from her throat, high enough to shatter glass. Tears of rage and anger streamed down her cheeks. She clung to the body, dead eyes would have been looking at her...if they eyes had been left in the head.  
  
The heart was gone as well.  
  
He always took the eyes and the heart. It was one of the trademarks of his kills.  
  
But was about to pay.  
  
* * *  
Jakob Redfern was a psychopath. He knew he was and didn't give a damn. It was the high light of his long miserable life. He tossed the eyeballs away and held the heart of his victim up high. Too small. You couldn't eat something like that. Disappointed, he tossed it away too. Maybe next time he'd do better. The murder hadn't been as fun as planned. There were always things that could have been improved upon.   
  
Lost in thought he didn't hear the hunters come up behind him. And before long. He was surrounded. Annoyed, he looked at them. They all stood there, torches in hands, along with stakes, and anything that could kill him.   
  
"Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked, rather irritated.   
  
And the next thing he knew was they were upon him. As the mob tore him limb from limb, he laughed and laughed. Spoiling his fun. But it didn't matter.  
  
He'd be back.  
  
* * *  
  
Juliet looked out the window, trying not to shudder as the mob closed in on him. She felt her skin turn icy as she heard him laughing as he was slaughtered. But it was all for the better, really.   
  
"He's dead now," Erin Morrigan said comfortingly. "He can't hurt anyone anymore."  
  
Juliet just nodded, hoping Erin was right. Yet she had the feeling that Erin might be wrong. Death wasn't always the end.   
  
* * *  
  
~200 years later~  
  
Juliet woke up fro the nightmare, the sweat pouring down her forehead. She looked at the clock and groaned. 5:54. She sighed and shook her head, deciding she might as well get up. She didn't know why, even after all this time she was still afraid. Jakob had been dead for two centuries now. He was gone. Gone.   
  
She had moved away from their town of Moon Bay, but now, she didn't know why she was back there now. Boxes were still all over the floor as she hadn't finished unpacking yet.  
  
Maybe it was being back here that had started the nightmares. Why had she come here? She had thought that maybe if she came back, then she could finally accept the fact that Jakob was long dead and couldn't hurt anyone anymore.   
  
She was a lot luckier than the other girls he had hit on. But not so lucky, soulmated to a monster. She shuddered. He's dead, she told herself firmly. Dead. Get yourself together. You have a new life to start.  
  
Settling down here again was going to be hard enough. Juliet sighed, deciding she might as well get up. If she went back to sleep she would only have more nightmares.  
  
She didn't know the nightmares wouldn't stop when she was awake.  
  
* * *  
  
  
She had one hell of a nerve! After that monster of hers that little bitch thought she could just waltz back in here as if nothing had happened? Oh no.   
  
No.   
  
That wouldn't happen.   
  
Juliet was the one who should have died. She should have paid along with that monster of hers.   
  
The figure watching the house felt their lip curl. She would make sure Juliet paid for what her *soulmate* had done.  
  
* * *  
  
As Juliet walked down the crowded halls of Moon Bay High she was more nervous than she could remember being in a long time. She kept expecting someone to recognise her, remember that her soulmate had been a psychotic monster and had slaughtered half the town, and blame her and come running at her and kill her too...  
  
She shook her head, trying not to focus on the past. The present was hard enough. She found her locker without too much trouble and deposited her jacket. She glanced at her schedule, finding her first class.  
  
She felt shy as she looked for somewhere to sit, seeing curious eyes inspecting her. She knew what they would see, someone who looked delicate and fragile, a mane of pale gold hair cascading down her back, eyes that shifted colour like the lights in a glacier, traits of her Redfern heritage.   
  
Juliet found a seat at the back and sat down.   
  
"Hey, are you new?" a friendly voice said.  
  
Juliet looked up to see two girls had sat down in the seats next to her and in front of her. "Yeah. Juliet Redfern."  
  
The one girl's eyebrow raised. "You're a Redfern?"  
  
Juliet was a little wary, she knew that talking about the Night World was forbidden, but simply nodded carefully. "And you are...?"  
  
"Athena Harman," the girl said, sitting down. "This is Sirena Blackthorn."  
  
Juliet brightened a little, recognising both the surnames. But she wasn't sure if they were Daybreak or Night World.   
  
"We're..." Sirena started, but stopped, looking over at Athena, who just shrugged.   
  
"We're Daybreak," Sirena said in a soft voice to avoid being overheard by the other students.   
  
Juliet felt a wave of relief. She could deal with Night Worlders, but Daybreak was her preferred choice. They had been a big help with her problems in getting over her psychotic soulmate.   
  
"Oh, that's good, me too," she said. She spent the rest of the day learning her way around, and how to fit in, Athena and Sirena were a big help, and introducing her to the other Daybreakers. There was Shannon Keller, a leopard shapeshifter and Dellon Redfern, a made vampire. He was kind of cute, in Juliet's opinion anyway.   
  
But something was bothering her, apart from past memories. It seemed everywhere she turned she could see someone glaring at her, her expression cold with hatred and fury. The girl was tall, with skin like marble, eyes of shining silver, raven hair cascading down her back. Juliet didn't understand why the girl was giving her such horrible glares.  
  
"Who's that?" she asked Dellon in a soft voice as they headed out of last period English, after seeing the girl glaring at them again.  
  
Dellon smiled a little. "That's the Wicked Witch of the West," he said.   
  
Juliet gave him a look. "Seriously."  
  
He sighed. "That's Vega Nightshade, a lamia," he muttered. "Resident Queen of Bitches. Leader of a Night People gang."  
  
Juliet didn't say anything. Why was she glaring at her like that. This time Vega walked over to them, the heels of her high black boots clicking on the floor. Her long leather skirt made swishing noises. Her revealing top showed a rather daring amount of cleavage. She stopped in front of Juliet, arms folded.   
  
"You don't belong here," she said in a husky voice that set Juliet's teeth on edge.   
  
Juliet blinked. "Excuse me?"  
  
"After what that monster of yours did, do you think we're just going to let you settle down here like nothing ever happened?" Vega's dark lips were curled in contempt.   
  
Juliet stared at the girl, feeling a stab of terror starting to rise. "I..."  
  
Vega laughed harshly. "You're gonna wish you'd never been born." And with that she sauntered away.  
  
Dellon was looking at Juliet, a frown on his face. "What was that all about?"  
  
Juliet shook her head. "I don't know," she lied. "I have to go now." She grabbed her stuff from her locker and fled.   
  
* * *  
  
Vega Nightshade smirked, in a very good mood now. She enjoyed scaring the wussy little excuse of a vampire. She hadn't even known how Juliet had managed to survive for so long. She shook her head in disgust. It didn't matter anyway.  
  
She was getting even.   
  
She had her Night World spies watching Juliet's every move, and her plan was already set in motion.   
  
"What do you want to do with this, Vega?"  
  
Vega turned, smiling as Dace Redfern brought in an unconscious human. "Would have been better if the bitch was conscious," Vega said. She shrugged. Couldn't have everything.   
  
"You never said anything about being awake," Dace snorted. "You're impossible." With that he turned and walked away.  
  
Vega stared after him for a moment, and shook her head. Jerk. She only put up with him because he was cute. Dumped the unconscious human girl on the table set up in the basement of the house she and her Night People lived in.   
  
With a cruel smile she plunged her hand into the girl's chest, ripping out the heart. She could feel a warm rush as blood seeped out over her hand. The ribs were annoying, but easy to break as she tugged on the heart.   
  
She put it in a small gold dish lying next to the victim's head. The thrill of death would have been more fun if the girl had been alive and screaming. But it wasn't this particular girl that Vega most wanted to hear screaming.   
  
Next came the icky task of gouging out the eyes. Using her razor sharp nails she dug into the soft flesh around the eyeballs and pulled, wincing as she saw the skin ripping.   
  
As she continued to mutilate the body, flashes kept flowing through her mind. Darkness. Coming home. Blood. Body...her sister...Morticia...dead...no eyes...bastard!  
  
Vega shook her head furiously, shaking away the memory. No. She wouldn't think about it. All she would think of was her revenge. It would all be worth it to force Juliet into killing herself.   
  
She smiled once she was done with the eyes. Juliet was going to get a little surprise in the morning.   
  
* * *  
  
Juliet was unhappy the following morning as she arrived at school, plagued by nightmares all night. She hadn't thought of Jakob in over two hundred years., up until she'd come back here.   
  
As she headed towards her locker, she could see Vega and her Night People friends hanging out near by, glaring at her furiously. She tried to ignore then, cheering up a little when she saw Athena and Sirena heading down the hall towards her.  
  
"You look terrible," Athena said brightly.  
  
Juliet smiled dryly. "Thanks a lot," she muttered, heading in the direction of her locker. The other two fell into step with her.   
  
"Seriously," Sirena said. "Are you okay?"  
  
Juliet sighed heavily. "Bad night," she said quietly. "Bad memories. I don't want to talk about it." She didn't want to scare them away from her was what she meant.   
  
They reached her locker. Juliet wasn't sure why she could feel a tingling apprehension at the back of her neck. She looked at her arm to see all the fine hairs were standing on end.   
  
She frowned a little, wondering what was going on. It almost seemed like a premonition. Premonitions were a witch thing, weren't they?   
  
She opened her locker.  
  
And screamed.   
  
Inside, on the little shelf, was a heart and two dead eyes staring at her. Fear washed over her, and she could see other students coming to see what was going on, screaming at the sight too. Juliet stood frozen to the spot, not really seeing what was going on around her anymore.  
  
Because the heart and eyes were what Jakob took from his victims. What did that mean? That Jakob was back? Considering the situation, Juliet did the only sane thing she could think of.  
  
She ran.  
  
* * *  
  
The night was dark and shimmering with stars. Morticia Nightshade danced around the cemetery in a very good mood. She had been waiting so long for this and now everything was ready.   
  
She slided over to the grave she had made, baring the name and dates of birth and death of one handsome Jakob Redfern. It was her opinion that Jakob deserved to be remembered.   
  
She smiled dreamily, kneeling down in front of the little shrine she'd made, placing down a bouquet of dead roses tied with a black ribbon. Black candles were burning.   
  
Her raven hair shimmered strangely in the lighting, her midnight eyes sparkling. She had loved Jakob. But he had died. He had gone. Her lip curled into an unhappy pout.   
  
But then the pout lifted, and Morticia smiled radiantly. It didn't matter anymore. Everything was ready and prepared.  
  
She was going to bring him back.   
  
* * *   
  
Athena wondered vaguely if there was something going on that Juliet wasn't telling them. Why Vega despised her so much was a mystery, and the heart and eyes in the locker...more than a little disturbing.   
  
"So someone's putting hearts and eyes in Juliet's locker," Sirena said as they headed to the local Daybreak office. "And why is it that someone should do that?"  
  
Athena frowned. "That's what we're trying to find out. It just doesn't seem...right. Vega's taking this hatred thing a little too far."  
  
Vega putting the...objects...there really wasn't much of a surprise. But what was her problem, anyway? There were other, older Daybreakers in town who seemed to look at Juliet with such distaste.  
  
Juliet seemed like a perfectly nice person, but what did the word "nice" actually mean when it came to describing a person? Anyone could be, well, anyone. No matter how well you thought you knew someone, you never really knew another person.   
  
So maybe Juliet wasn't as innocent as she seemed. And that's what they were going to find out at the research room. Every town had a Daybreak resource centre in it. And for times like this, they could actually be useful.  
  
But the research itself was hard, and seemed to come to a lot of untied ends, there were quiet a few Juliets in Night World and Daybreak history, but there was one who had lived in the town of Moon Bay when it had just been forming, almost two hundred years ago.  
  
"Look at this," Sirena said, pulling out an old book. When the town had been formed at first, it had just been full of Night People, and they had taken a name and a drawing of everyone who lived there, since cameras and photography hadn't been invented yet.   
  
Athena looked at the drawing that Sirena was pointing at. Clearly, their Juliet Redfern.   
  
Sirena was shaking her head as she read the accompanying text. "Poor Juliet," she said sympathetically. "Apparently her soulmate was no Romeo. He was a vicious psychotic vampire killer, Jakob Redfern, wanted by everyone cause he was..." She trailed off, searching for a word.   
  
"A psycho?" Athena supplied.   
  
Sirena smiled without humour. "Yeah. A group of vigilantes got him in the end. One of his victims was..." She studied the list of names. "Morticia Nightshade..."  
  
Athena raised her eyebrow. "Relation of Vega?"  
  
Sirena turned and looked at another book, information she'd found on Vega and the Nightshade clan. "Yeah. They were twins."  
  
Athena sat back in her chair, studying the info on Jakob. Hearts and eyes were his trademarks, they were what he'd taken from his victims. "So Vega wants revenge against Juliet? Simply because Jakob was her soulmate, even though she was terrified of him?"  
  
"Crazy, but true," Sirena said with a frown. "But what if..." She trailed off.  
  
Athena looked at her, eyebrow raised. "What if...?"  
  
Sirena shrugged and looked uncomfortable. "Well, what if all this has brought up a lot of bad memories for Juliet, and she's lost it and has started killing like he has, or what if he's been reincarnated and he wants her back?"  
  
Athena frowned. "Vampires can't reincarnate, and I would certainly say that psychotic ones can't. As for Juliet's memories taking over...maybe she doesn't even realise what she's doing?"  
  
"Or maybe this is Vega doing it and this is what she wants to make us think," Sirena said flatly. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, sighing heavily.   
  
"I'd go for that one," Athena said dryly. "But my guess is we just watch ourselves. We don't want another psycho back."  
  
* * *  
  
As Juliet walked down the school hallway the following morning she could hear the whispers as she passed by. Everyone kept looking at her, then whispering to each other.  
  
No one seemed to want to talk to her directly. She kept her head high, and tried to ignore the stairs and whispers. The heart and eyes in her locker hadn't been her fault.   
  
Yet she wasn't too sure...Had she been thinking of Jakob enough to subconsciously act like him? She shuddered. No. No way. She had hated him, he had terrified her. She didn't care that they were soulmates.  
  
But maybe this was the essence of the principle, coming back to get her for that. Your soulmate was supposed to be the one person meant for you more than anyone else.   
  
You were supposed to be incomplete and feel empty without them. But she had been *glad* when Jakob had died. He was a psychopath! Nobody wanted a psychopath for a soulmate!  
  
Was she being punished for feeling this way? It seemed like it. During the morning classes, she hid at the back of the classroom, trying to avoid the eyes and whispers.  
  
It was hard to ignore it when you knew everyone was talking about you. When lunch came she headed into the cafeteria, looking to see if anyone she knew was around.   
  
She spotted Sirena and Dellon at a table and headed over to join them. She was a little upset to see them both exchanging glances as she approached.   
  
"Hey, what's up?" Dellon said unenthusiastically as she sat down.   
  
Juliet flushed a little. "Not much," she said.  
  
Conversation was noticeably lacking, making her feel like an intruder. She had thought she was becoming friends with these people, and now they were acting distant.   
  
She looked around and saw Vega and her Night People smirking. Her expression darkened a little. What was that little bitch up to?  
  
* * *   
  
Vega felt better than she could ever remember feeling in a long time. She could see the effect that the discovery of the heart and eyes in Juliet's locker had done to the student body.  
  
They were all afraid of her, she could almost smell the fear in the cafeteria at the possibility of a crazy person amongst them.  
  
Her plan was going very well. With any luck they'd have Juliet driven out within a few weeks at the latest.  
  
But Vega didn't know she wasn't the only one with a plan that was going well.  
  
* * *  
  
Jakob Redfern blinked. His vision wasn't quite right at first. The last thing he had seen was that mob of damned Daybreakers coming after him...  
  
And now, he was here, in a cemetery, and a beautiful girl who looked like the essence of darkness was smiling at him, grinning from ear to ear. Her perfect lips were emphasized with blood red lipstick showing bright against her marble like skin.   
  
"Morticia?" he asked, afraid to believe in case the illusion would shatter.  
  
Morticia threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, kissing him for all she was worth. It had been too long since he had had a girl in his arms. Being dead certainly did have some disadvantages.   
  
Morticia pulled back slightly and looked at him, smiling seductively. "I brought you back."  
  
He nodded, looking around the cemetery and the ritual she had set up around his grave. Even he had to admit, he was impressed.   
  
"I'm hungry," he said.  
  
Morticia clapped in delight. "I knew it!" she said brightly. "Let's go into town and paint it red, and blue, and other pretty dark colours." She danced around the grave site.  
  
Jakob smiled slightly, letting her pull him off in the direction of town. Morticia always did have a screw lose somewhere in her head. But she did know how to have a good time.   
  
It had been too long since he'd last killed. A scent of something caught his nostrils. He held up a hand and Morticia stopped, standing still as a statue.  
  
The sound of high heels on concrete caught his ears. He looked around, spying a girl walking down the path that led between some of the graves. Small, with shimmering fine pale hair and violet eyes, glinting faintly in the moonlight.  
  
A Harman witch. Should make a nice snack. Witch blood always gave him an extra little thrill. He sauntered over to the girl, stopping in front of her. She gave him an irritated glare.  
  
"Get out my way," she snapped at him  
  
Jakob stared at her, and she stared back at him. Looking down at himself Jakob realised he was still dressed in 17th century clothing. He guessed quite a time had gone by, this girl was looking very different than the girls had looked back then.  
  
"So rude," he said with a sigh. Before the stupid witch could do anything he'd reached out and grabbed her shoulders, he could hear Tish laughing as the witch screamed when his fangs went into her throat. The hot blood gushed into his mouth, filling him with a pleasant tingling sensation. Having drunk his fill, he pulled his teeth out, and looked at the body critically. With a smirk at the dying witch, he plunged his hand into her chest and ripped out a perfectly shaped human heart.  
  
"Don't forget the eyes," Morticia pointed out, coming over to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.  
  
He grinned at her. "Why don't you do the honours?"  
  
Morticia smiled evilly and with her long black nails, proceeded to gouge out the Harman witch's violet eyes. "Now let's go have *fun,*"  
  
"That was fun," Jakob said brightly, but let her drag him off to town anyway.   
  
~I said I'd come back~ he thought with a smirk.  
  
* * *  
  



	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
Vega just couldn't believe it. Her fury boiled, making her insides hot with rage. She stood staring over the body in disbelief. She had thought cutting through the cemetery would be the quick way, but...  
  
Now this. One of her own Night People so brutally slaughtered. Juliet was going to *pay* for this, like she would pay for what happened to Morticia.   
  
She stood there, looking at it in disgust, it was still oozing where the heart and eyes had been gouged out. She couldn't believe it.   
  
Her eyes darted around the cemetery. The sun was high in the sky, shadows of tombstones stretching out all around her. It was eerily quiet, hardly any birds or anything screeching.   
  
Not that Vega really cared for stuff like that, she was more concerned about the idea of being watched and laughed at from the shadows. She scowled in fury.   
  
When she finally got to school she smiled a little, watching people get out of her way as they saw her coming. She spotted the little bitch heading into her locker, head hanging, face covered by a curtain of gold hair.   
  
Vega stormed over, grabbed a handful of that hair and slammed the girl's head against the nearest locker. "Now I have some questions to ask, and you'd better answer, or you're going to be very, very sorry."  
* * *  
  
Before Juliet knew what was happening a very pissed of Vega was slamming her head against a locker, demanding answers. Juliet looked at her rather disdainfully, wondering what her problem was. But was smart enough not to make that retort.  
  
"You did it, didn't you," Vega hissed, threateningly close.  
  
"Did what?" Juliet asked, trying to pull away. Vega scared her, and it was taking all her self control not to show that fear. She knew from experience that the bad guy always enjoyed fear.  
  
Vega hit her, hard. "You killed Selene last night. Took her eyes and heart, you can't get that monster of a soulmate of yours so you're imitating him."  
  
A small crowd of on lookers had started together, wondering what was going on. Vega turned round, one glare sent them all scattering. The bell rang and a few seconds later the hallway was empty.  
  
Juliet shook her head. "No! Why would I? I hated Jakob! I didn't ask to be his soulmate."  
  
"Drop it Vega."  
  
Juliet felt relief wash over her to see Sirena, Athena and Dellon had showed up. Maybe they would realise now that she had nothing to do with whoever was taking these eyes and hearts.  
  
"What are you talking about, anyway?" Dellon asked, frowning.  
  
Juliet felt a wave of relief when Vega let go of her and turned to glare at the others.   
  
"I was walking through the cemetery and I found Selene, heart and eyes gouged out," Vega snapped, throwing a glare in Juliet's direction.   
  
"I didn't do it," Juliet said emphatically. "You were the one who put the things in my locker to make me think I was going crazy, but I'm not and have nothing to do with this!"  
  
Athena glared at Vega. "Go away Vega, if anyone's insane, then it's *you*."  
  
Vega looked Juliet directly in the eye. "This isn't over," she hissed before stalking away.  
  
"Someone want to tell me what all this is about?" Dellon asked.  
  
Juliet sighed. "It's a long story."  
  
* * *  
Athena sighed heavily, bored out her brains. She sat in a local Black Iris with Sirena and Dellon. They had invited Juliet, but she had declined. After a long discussion on Juliet's past they had learned the entire true story of Jakob Redfern.   
  
Athena couldn't help feeling sorry for Juliet. Who would want to be stuck with a psychopath for a soulmate? But what was still slightly unclear was the whole thing with Vega, and why Vega hated Juliet so much.  
  
As far as Athena could figure out, Jakob must have killed someone close to Vega, and because she knew Juliet and Jakob had been soulmates she thought Juliet would pay for what her monstrous soulmate had done.  
  
Which was ludicrous, really. Especially considering anyone who knew Juliet. Juliet despised Jakob, she was terrified of him. But no one could talk any sense into Vega.  
  
Vega and her friends were still lurid over the recent murder, and a second body had been discovered earlier that evening, killed in the same way.   
  
Which brought the question as to who was doing this. If not Vega and her cronies, then who?  
  
Beside her, Sirena drew in a sharp breath. Athena turned to look at her. "What?"  
  
Sirena nodded to a couple who had just come through the door. "Look at that."  
  
Athena studied the couple, head tilting. The girl was Vega...but not quite Vega. Her facial features were the same, she was tall, with Vega's raven hair and marble pale skin. She was dressed in a flowing red velvet dress showing off her slender figure. Her mannerisms were different, she seemed almost...floaty, as if there were a few screws missing in her head.   
  
And the boy...  
  
Athena studied him more closely. She looked at Sirena, shocked.   
  
"Who's the guy Vega's with?" Dellon asked. "And why does he look familiar."  
  
"I don't think that's Vega," Athena said slowly. "But do you really think it's..."  
  
Sirena frowned. "It has to be...but that's impossible...isn't it?"  
  
"Who?" Dellon asked, mildly curious.  
  
"It's Jakob Redfern," Athena said bluntly.  
  
* * *  
  
Vega sighed, twirling the straw around in her cocktail. She didn't know why she'd let Dace and Sylvia talk her into coming out tonight. Maybe it was probably a good thing, she didn't have to sit at home and think about how crappy her revenge plan was turning out to be.  
  
She scowled at the Daybreakers sat at the other side of the bar, heads deep in conversation. She noticed Athena looked as bored as she felt.   
  
She felt a small satisfaction noticing that Juliet wasn't there. Maybe something was going well, at least. She had the feeling if she saw the girl she might not be able to control herself.  
  
Her fists clenched in anger, scrunching up the napkin in her hand into a tight ball. She would have wished that it was someone's head, or she would have someone to beat up, a good way to let out her frustrations...  
  
"Hey Vega, did you multiply, or am I just really drunk?" Dace's voice said in her ear.  
  
Vega pushed him away from her, wrinkling her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath. "You're drunk," she sneered.   
  
Dace reached out and turned her to look at a couple who had just walked through the door. Vega stood up, not sure she was really seeing this. She blinked several times, wondering how it could be possible.   
  
How could...but Morticia was *dead*. Very dead. She had...  
  
And with her was...  
  
No. No.   
  
Before she knew what she was doing Vega stood up and was moving over to her dead twin. She was so sure it was just an illusion. She reached out, but before she could say anything Morticia turned and saw her, her face lighting up, her midnight eyes sparkling.  
  
"Look at me!" she said cheerfully. "I sort of..." Her head tilted to one side as if she didn't understand what was going on. "I'm in two places at once? That's very strange."  
  
Vega just stared at her, a lump forming in her throat. So Morticia had never found her missing sanity screw. "Don't you remember me?"  
  
"Should we?"  
  
Vega turned and glared at Jakob Redfern, feeling more like herself. She jerked back her fist and slugged him hard in the face, shattering his nose. "You bastard!" she hissed.  
  
Jakob just stared at her, blood running down his face. He simply smiled. "Why do lots of people do that to me?" he mused.   
  
"Maybe cause you're an asshole and you deserve it?" Vega sneered at him, trying to control her rage. "What the hell are you *doing* here? You're *dead*."  
  
"Not any more," Morticia said cheerfully, wrapping her arm through Jakob's. "I brought him back."  
  
Vega stared at her. "For God's sake, why?" she sneered with disgust.  
  
Morticia sighed dreamily. "We're in love," she said, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.   
  
"And we have to be going now," Jakob added, and dragged her away. Morticia waved, and disappeared in the crowd of people.   
  
Vega stood where she was, still unable to believe what had just happened. She was *so* going to enjoy killing Jakob when she got her hands on him.  
  
* * *  
  
Jakob looked at the sleeping figure of Morticia beside him. The sun was up now, blazing away outside. He smiled in the darkness of their bedroom. How he hated the day time. You couldn't do anything worth while in the day without the risk of being caught at it.  
  
Night was the best time. The cover that the dark provided. Morticia was something fun to play with...but she wasn't his soulmate. A dreamy look crossed his face as he remembered the girl who had been.  
  
Juliet. Such a pretty little thing, like gold and spun glass. So fragile and delicate, Just the type of thing you'd like to warp and corrupt to your own...he searched for a word...evilness, he finally came up with.  
  
He knew she was here, in this town, right now.   
  
He could still sense her presence, after all these years. The only problem was, she was just...too good. She would never agree to come to him willingly.   
  
He pouted a little, annoyed by the thought of how others had convinced her what a bad boy he was. That thought made him smile, well, considering...he was a bad boy.  
  
But if he could make Juliet a bad girl...then imagine the fun he and Morticia could have!  
  
He wondered how Morticia would feel about sharing him. Well, the more the merrier, as they said.   
  
He was always looking for something fun to do at night, so it looked like kidnapping was on the menu this time round. And maybe torture too!  
  
He was almost too excited to sleep. But, as he figured out, the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner he would wake up and it would be night.  
  
Seemed like a plan to him.  
  
* * *  
  
Something was wrong. Juliet wasn't sure how she could tell that, but she knew something was. An uncomfortable prickling feeling was running over her skin and all the fine hairs on her arms were standing up.  
  
She glanced over her shoulder, not happy about the huge woods on either side of her as she made her way home. It was already dark, and a breeze was blowing. The tree tops swayed in the gathering darkness.   
  
She felt as if someone was watching her from the trees. But she told herself she was just being paranoid. Every time she looked around no one was there.   
  
Of course there wasn't anyone there, she told herself. All day at school people had been acting weird around her. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about the heart and eyes in the locker thing. Old news now.   
  
But it was something between Athena and co. They kept looking at her as if they knew something but weren't sure if they should tell her or not.   
  
Juliet wondered what it was, but hadn't asked, deciding if they wanted to tell her, they would tell her, but she didn't want to pry.   
  
A branch snapping behind her sounded as loud as a gun shot, making her jump. Juliet spun around.   
  
Something hit her on top of her head and everything went black.  
  
* * *  
  
Juliet groaned, her head throbbing in agony. She blinked several times, trying to focus on her surrounding, all she could see was different shades of darkness.   
  
"Juliet?"  
  
She focused on the voice, and her head and mind cleared of confusion. Only to have the confusion replaced by fear.   
  
"Jakob," she whispered, staring at the monster of a soulmate in front of her. He was still as gorgeous as she could remember, but it only hid how cruel he was underneath it all.  
  
She tried to move, but something was stopping her. She gathered herself together enough to realise what was going on. She was tied to a pole of some sort, locked away with the monster she had been trying to escape.  
  
~Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic,~ she told herself. She made herself look at him calmly. "But you're dead."  
  
Jakob just gave her a stunning smile. "Very."  
  
"I brought him back."  
  
Juliet blinked, looking at the black haired girl who'd danced up behind Jakob and rested her chin on his shoulders, her hair spilling like a dark waterfall around her shoulders. Her skin was marble pale, her mouth blood red.  
  
Jakob smiled faintly. "You haven't met Morticia, have you?"  
  
Juliet was confused. Then remembered why Vega hated her so much, something to do with Jakob supposedly killing her sister..."You're Vega's sister?" she asked, pleased her voice was so steady.  
  
Morticia just smiled enigmatically. Something about her vacant expression told Juliet this girl might have a missing sanity chip. "Vega's my living moving mirror," she said cheerfully. "When I look at her, I see myself." She moved away from Jakob in a flowing movement, dancing around the basement.  
  
~Oh great,~ Juliet thought. ~I'm trapped with *two* psychos.~  
  
"What are you going to do?" she asked finally. She wondered if she really wanted to know.   
  
Jakob smiled at her. Juliet hated him for being so sexy. "You're my soulmate," he said simply. "We belong together."  
  
Anger gave Juliet strength. "I want nothing to do with you!" she snapped at him.  
  
Jakob just looked at her, something dark and unnerving flashing in his eyes. "I know," he answered. "But it doesn't matter. Cause Tish over there," he nodded over at Morticia who was still dancing around the basement singing to herself, "is a very good little witch. She's going to do spell that will bind us all together."  
  
Juliet's head sank back against the pole she was tied to. She didn't want any connection to either one of them, but it didn't look like she got a choice.   
  
With any luck, someone would come and rescue her, wouldn't they?  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
Sirena noticed Juliet wasn't in her set in class the following morning. She had never known Juliet to miss a day or even a single class before. She frowned, hoping it wasn't something to be worried about.   
  
She knew Juliet thought of high school as a sort of sanctuary, something for her to enjoy and forget the harsh realities of life. Sirena wouldn't have thought of school that way herself, but considering Juliet's life, it was kind of understandable.   
  
She wasn't in the cafeteria either when lunch came. Athena and Dellon were there. Vega was scowling at them from the other side of the room. No Juliet.  
  
"Have you guys seen Juliet today?" she asked, taking her seat.   
  
Athena shook her head. "Not to day." She was scanning the crowded room too, but could clearly see no sign of their friend.  
  
Sirena suddenly felt cold, remembering who they had seen the other night. "You don't think..."  
  
Dellon looked alarmed. "The psycho of a soulmate got her?"  
  
From the look on Athena's face, clearly, Athena did think. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "We should have warned her, or something..."  
  
"Well, we'll just go to her house," Athena decided, standing up and abandoning her lunch.   
  
They left the cafeteria and the school, ignoring the looks of the curious students. The teachers didn't even try to stop them. Wonderful powers of brainwashing, Sirena thought vaguely.   
  
She realised how guilty she felt about not warning Juliet that that monster Jakob was alive and back. With Vega's psychotic twin as well. Not a fun combination. Vega was probably pissed about that. But that was Vega's problem.   
  
Athena banged on the door to Juliet's apartment. No one answered. Dellon knocked harder, slamming the palm of his hands against the door. "Juliet? Juliet? It's us." He reached out and turned the door handle, breaking it in his hands.  
  
"That was clever," Athena snorted. Sirena ignored her as she and Dellon hurried into the apartment. There was no sign of Juliet.   
  
"Let's face it," Athena said. "She's not here."  
  
"Then where the hell is she, and how do we get her back?" Dellon demanded angrily.  
  
"That," Sirena said dryly, "is the question."  
  
* * *  
Vega wasn't really interested in anything anymore. She had given up on her revenge plan. She had lost interest in it ever since she had seen Morticia and Jakob together. It had become obvious that Juliet had had nothing to do with how Jakob had turned out.  
  
No one had seen her for the last few days anything. Morticia had only talked to her a few times. She didn't make much sense anymore. She had never really made much sense anyway, but now the sanity chip was completely fucked.   
  
Vega wandered down the halls, not sure what was happening to her. She used to be so - bad. Now she just moved robot like through her daily routine of going to classes and going home. Even killing people didn't seem to have that thrill that it used to.   
  
She had seen some of the other Night People giving her very strange looks. She had heard them whispering about her, but didn't care anymore. Why bother?  
  
Morticia had been whining recently that Jakob was trying to turn Juliet evil like him and her. Vega didn't really see what Morticia was doing whining to her about it. She hated Jakob. She sighed heavily. Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve it?  
  
She was surprised when she reached her locker to find the Daybreakers waiting there for her. They were all scowling, none of them looked pleased to see her.   
  
"What do you want?" she demanded.   
  
"We want to know what you've done with Juliet," Dellon said bluntly.  
  
Vega glared at him. "I haven't done anything," she snapped. "Get out of the way." She shoved them to one side so she could get to her locker.  
  
"Oh come off it, Vega," Sirena snorted. "You've been trying to destroy Juliet ever since she got here. Her house is deserted. What did you do?"  
  
Vega stared back at them, unimpressed. They weren't doing much of a job of trying to get information out of her. "For the second time, I didn't do anything. Why bother?" She opened the locker and shoved her books inside, then slammed it shut.  
  
"Then what did Jakob and Morticia do to her?" Athena asked. "If you didn't do anything, then they must have. They'd tell you, wouldn't they?" Athena blocked Vega's exit, her arms folded.   
  
Vega was getting irritated. She was getting ready to punch her way through them when an idea sparked in her mind. What would be worse for Jakob than being hunted down and killed by the Daybreakers again?  
  
She sighed heavily, giving the impression of finally giving in. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll take you to them." And she shoved through them, starting to lead the way. It looked like she would get her revenge after all.  
* * *  
  
Juliet strained against her bonds but it was useless. No matter how hard she tugged and struggled she could work her way out of them. And to make matters worse, she was starting to get hungry herself.  
  
It had been almost two days since she'd last fed properly, and it wasn't helping things now. She watched with dismay as Morticia pranced about the basement making preparations for whatever spell she and Jakob were planning on doing.  
  
Jakob was sitting on the basement steps, playing with the eyes from his latest victim. A pair of blue eyes. His head was tilted to one side, studying the eyes, then lifting to look at Juliet.  
  
"Not quite as nice as yours," he said critically.  
  
Juliet shuddered. "You're crazy," she muttered sourly.   
  
Jakob laughed, the sound harsh and grating. "Like I've never heard *that* before. How you doing over there, Tish?"  
  
Morticia looked up from whatever she was doing, smiling radiantly. "The party is nearly ready," she announced cheerfully.  
  
Juliet's head fell back against the pole. She didn't even notice the pain it should have caused. She would be as mindless as the two of them before long. She would be just as out of it, make her own insane little sentences like Morticia.  
  
She didn't want to be like that. She valued her mind, her sanity. She had had the promise of a new lie, new friends...Why weren't they coming to rescue her?  
  
If she could just hold on a little longer...  
  
The basement door slammed open. Juliet's eyes opened and she looked up. Vega was walking down the steps, her face blank and expressionless. She was hiding something behind her back.  
  
"The mirror's back!" Morticia said brightly, clapping her hands. Her head tilted to one side, dark hair spilling over her shoulders like a silken waterfall. "But she looks different."  
  
Jakob stood up and moved over to Morticia, almost as if he were going to protect her from Vega. Vega didn't even glance at Juliet.  
  
Juliet, for her part, was confused. What was Vega doing there? She didn't look as if she wanted to join Morticia and Jakob, she didn't look as if she wanted to help Juliet.   
  
"What are you doing?" Jakob asked. "What have you got there?"  
  
Vega smiled. "You want to see?" she asked mysteriously.  
  
Jakob studied her. "If you've got something to show us, show us, or go away, unless you want to have no eyes or heart."  
  
"She doesn't have a heart anyway," Juliet snorted. No one glanced her way. They seemed to have forgotten about her.  
  
Vega continued to smile. "Well, if you really want to see."  
  
Juliet strained, trying to see herself Vega was playing at. In a movement faster than the blink of an eye Vega pulled out something long, wooden and sharp, plunging it into Jakob then Morticia.  
  
As Juliet watched the two insane vampires began to collapse, their shocked shrieks were cut off, their skin turned leathery and yellow, withering away from their bones until there was almost nothing left.  
  
Vega spat on the corpses, turned and walked away.  
  
Juliet remained where she was, not sure how she was supposed to feel. Part of her was relieved that Jakob and Morticia were dead, but the other part was pissed off at Vega for just leaving her there.  
  
Before she could shout and call her back, she heard the sound of footsteps. Relief flooded her as she watched the Daybreakers hurry down the steps.   
  
Dellon hurried over to her and untied her. "Are you okay?" he asked, supporting her.  
  
Juliet nodded. "Just about."  
  
"What happened to those two?" Athena asked, pointing at the two bodies.   
  
Juliet smiled faintly. "Vega happened. She came in, staked them, then left."  
  
Sirena's eyebrows raised. "Charming," she muttered. "Well, at least they're dead."  
  
Juliet nodded. She didn't really care about whatever happened to Vega. She knew Vega wouldn't bother her anymore.   
  
"Let's go *home*," Dellon said.  
  
They took Juliet home.  
  
* * *  
  
She was asleep, she looked so peaceful, so beautiful. Jakob sighed, wishing he really didn't have to this. He wanted things to have been different. Juliet had been his soulmate. It was such a shame she was so different from him.  
  
He sat on the bed beside her, stroking her soft golden hair gently. He bent down and kissed her forehead. She sat up suddenly, stunned to see him.  
  
"But you died," she whispered. "I saw."  
  
Jakob smiled. "What you saw was an illusion. Sorry sweetheart, but I don't like to loose." And with those words, he plunged his hand into her chest and ripped out her heart. She slumped back against the pillows, her eyes wide open in shock.  
  
He put the heart in a golden box Morticia had given him. He took her eyes carefully. So pretty.  
  
He left the corpse where it was and slipped out the window. Morticia was waiting for him outside. The night was dark, stars shimmered in the sky.  
  
Morticia was looking sadly at the dead body of Vega, lying on the floor. "The mirror's broken," she said. "That means seven years bad luck."  
  
Jakob handed her the golden box. She took it looking at him, large dark eyes vague and distant. "I think we've had all the bad luck we're gonna get," he said sourly. "But we can start again somewhere else."  
  
Morticia smiled at that. "A new party in a new place."  
  
And with those words he took her hand and they walked off together into the night.  
  
THE END,   
  
  
  



End file.
